fertiliser

Question 1

soil fertility

Answer 1

ability of the soil to give plants enough nutrients to grow

Question 2

fertilizer

Answer 2

substances added to the soil to provide nutrients

Question 3

importance of fertilizers

Answer 3

-they increase nutrients in the soil needed by plants to grow well
- they increase crop yields
-improve the quality of the produce
-improve soil structure
-add any nutrients that the soil may not have had before

Question 4

examples of organic fertilizers

Answer 4

-green manure
-farm yard manure
-compost manure
-crop residues

Question 5

GREEN MANURE

Answer 5

is made from crops that have been ploughed back into the soil while they are still green or at flowering stage such as beans , peas , groundnuts , peas, lucerne
GREEN MANURE IS A GOOD SOURCE OF NITROGEN AND PHOSPHORUS

Question 6

FARM YARD MANURE( several sources )

Answer 6

-kraal manure from cattle, goats, sheep and pigs
-stable manure from horses
-chicken manure from chickens

IT CONTAINS A LARGE AMOUNT OF NUTRIENTS ESPECIALLY NITROGEN,PHOSPHORUS AND POTASSIUM

Question 7

COMPOST MANURE

Answer 7

from remains of animals and plants that have been decomposed by bacteria and fungi

Question 8

CROP RESIDUES

Answer 8

leftovers, parts of crop like stalks that were not harvested can be ploughed back into the soil where they decompose and return plant nutrients to the soil

Question 9

advantages of organic fertilizers

Answer 9

-they are easy to obtain and are cheap
-they improve soil structure
-they don’t burn or cause damage to crops when they come in contact with them
-they are environmentally friendly
-they promote the activity of micro organisms
- they release nutrients and elements into the soil slowly. this means the nutrients are available to the plants over a long period of time

Question 10

disadvantages of organic

Answer 10

take a long time to decompose and be ready for use
-they are less concentrated
-they are applied in large quantities in order to increase soil fertility
-the exact amount of plant nutrients elements within the organic is not known

Question 11

inorganic fertilizer are divided into 2 main groups

Answer 11

straight(single) fertilizer
compound fertilizer

Question 12

straight fertilizer

Answer 12

provide only one element of nutrients to the soil

Nitrogenous fertilizer:
urea
LAN
ammonium nitrate

Phosphate fertilizer:
-single super phosphate
-double superphosphate
-triple superphosphate

Potassium fertilizer
-muriate of potash
-potassium nitrate
-potassium sulphate

Question 13

compound fertilizer

Answer 13

these are inorganic fertilizers that contain two or more elements/nutrients e.g 2:3:2

Question 14

advantages of inorganic fertilizer

Answer 14

-saves time and labour as they do not have to be collected
-they can be added in the correct amount needed by a particular crop
- they are easy to handle and store since they are brought in bags
-they are quick to dissolve
-needed in smaller amounts cause they are concentrated
-can be stored for longer periods without losing nutrients

Question 15

disadvantages of inorganic

Answer 15

-very expensive
-they can burn or damage plants when in contact with them
-can pollute the environment like rivers and dams
-do not improve soil structure
-requires technical skills

Question 16

Basal dressing

Answer 16

when fertilizer is applied before planting

Question 17

Top dressing

Answer 17

when fertilizer is added into the soil after the plants have emerged

Question 18

Fertilizer application methods

Answer 18

Broadcasting
-Banding
-Drilling
-Side dressing
-Fertigation
-Foliar application

Question 19

Broadcasting

Answer 19

when fertilizers are sprinkled over the surface and then mixed with soil before seeds are planted

Question 20

Drilling

Answer 20

this is when both seeds and fertilizers are placed in shallow furrows or drill

Question 21

Banding

Answer 21

placing the fertilizer in bands or strips below the soil surface at planting time

Question 22

Side dressing

Answer 22

applying fertilizers along rows after the plants have emerged above the soil

Question 23

Fertigation

Answer 23

applying fertilizer with water and then apply the mixture to the soil

Question 24

Foliar application

Answer 24

the fertilizer is dissolved in water and then sprayed on the leaves of the plants

Question 25

major elements

Answer 25

nutrients required by plants in large quantities MACRO ELEMENT

Question 26

minor elements

Answer 26

nutrients required by plants in small quantities MICRO ELEMENT

Question 27

Major elements found in fertilizers

Answer 27

*nitrogen(N)
*phosphorus(P)
*potassium(K)

Question 28

how nutrients can be lost in soil

Answer 28

-leaching
-soil erosion
-volatilization
-denitrification
-incorrect soil pH
-removal of crops and crop residues
-continuous cropping
-burning the veld

Question 29

leaching

Answer 29

when nutrients dissolve in water and carried deep down the ground where plants cannot use them

Question 30

volatilization

Answer 30

the process by which something evaporates and turns into gas